CSI Life July 2018 Full.Cdr

July 2018 |Pentecost Volume XVI | Issue 07 | Rs.150 Per Annum Young Theologians Consultation 2018 02 EDITOR’S DESK Towards a Creative and Empowering Pastoral Ministry Pastoral ministry is a call to community he has been denied the right to speak such learnings are put into practice, they act building. It is a movement to equip the and express himself, and thus is very as the key to unlock the truth, the innate people of God in mission, to educate and fearful and afraid, and rendered potentials and abilities that are hidden and to participate in the transforming vulnerable and defenseless. Jeremiah was ensure a creative and innovative new space. mission of God. The aim of pastoral indeed searching for a safe space. This, in Thus, the Lord's Word comes with the ministry is to empower people to be the fact, expresses the fears of the margins and authority that would prepare the prophet to sign and sacrament of the reign of God, the marginalized, who need special care be faithful to the task. striving to be a caring and sharing and nurture in order to help them to fellowship, facilitating harmony, and confront threats and overcome fear. They Two imperatives: “See, today I appoint you becoming agents of transformation and need an atmosphere of trust, where they over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck channels of grace and peace in their can fearlessly open up their innocence, dare up and to pull down, (to uproot and to tear living contexts. to endure and become empowered to be down) to destroy and to overthrow, to interdependent, interconnected, and build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:10). Four Two excuses: When Jeremiah was called interrelated. of the prophetic tasks described in v.10b to be a prophet, (Jeremiah 1:1-19) h a v e n e g a t i v e a n d d e s t r u c t i v e though the primary message was to The Lord's assurance “Do not fear” also connotations, while only two are positive Judah, it had an international component demands a choice and a decision. The and constructive. It is a call to do a SWOT as its implications involved also Assyria, prophet is exhorted with this assurance analysis, to make plain the strengths, Babylon, Egypt, and other states. that the competencies come from the weaknesses, opportunities and threats in Surprised and stunned by the enormity Lord; that the abiding presence of the the community. The Lord first challenges of the task, Jeremiah attempted initially Lord with the prophet will embolden the prophet to make a clear distinction to politely step away from the over- him, give him courage and bring him between the good and the bad, the whelming announcement. He posed two discernment. The Word of the Lord positive and the negative energies. It is a reasonable excuses, both, he must have dispels all uncertainties, fears of test of the prophet's faculty to discern, to thought, offering sufficient grounds for frustration and failure and allows to see understand the difference, to analyze the turning aside the divine call: first, that he the beacon of newness. The Word of the facts, and decide specifically what is good did not know how to speak (or perhaps, Lord enables the vulnerable and weak to and what is bad. what to say) and second, that he was participate in the movement of the reign clearly too young for the task. He says of God; a movement that would uncover The prophet is thus called to enumerate that he is short of the desired vocabulary hidden things and mysteries. It would open the strengths and weaknesses in, and of and therefore lacks articulation. By them to learning, creating new perspectives, the community. Compromises are ruled describing himself as too young, a child, a making new interpretations possible and out. What is required is to drive home the little one, he identifies himself with those providing a place and space where learning basic truth that everything that is built on in the margins and the marginalized from each other, learning together, and falsehood and injustice is rotten and will communities. He seems to be saying that learning of interdependence occurs. When not sustain. The Word of God grants the J u l y 2 0 1 8 03 serenity to accept the things one cannot forth from the buds in splendid beauty, are held together, with their background change, the courage to change the things or, the branch was already in flower, a and each credential being thoroughly one can, and the wisdom to know the sign of the advent of spring season. In the examined and analyzed for a greater difference between the two. While going first instance, the vision would indicate to learning. This constitutes a process that through the process of discernment, when Jeremiah that the divine Word he was to would not only enable to see, but also most of it is negative and destructive, it is proclaim was like the blossom in bud: it enable one to get rightly informed, and to bound to elicit a hostile response. Only was about to break forth. In the second interpret the significance and importance after deconstructing and driving away the instance, the proclamation of the Word of the things seen. Seeing, understanding, falsehood, overcoming the injustice and was itself a sign of the advent of God's interpreting correctly is learning, is clearing the rotten, one may be enabled to action in bringing about the substance of wisdom. reconstruct, plant and build. A prophet is the prophetic word. In both approaches, thus called to build a sustainable alternative. there is a sense of certainty and inevitability. Organizing an empowering movement: “But you, gird up your loins; stand up and Two visons: Now the prophet's skill in In the second vision that meets Jeremiah's tell them everything that I command you. seeing and interpreting is tested. What eyes, there must have been an open fire, Do not break down before them, or I will do you see Jeremiah? - “I see the branch with a cooking pot resting on its coals or break you before them. And I for my part of an almond tree”, “I see a boiling pot logs. Perhaps due of the unevenness of have made you today a fortified city, an tilting away from the north” (v.11,13). It is the base, the pot was tipped to one side; iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the a lesson to see and watch closely and to the tipped pot faced towards the south. whole land - against the kings of Judah, look intently. It is a call to wake up and to The wind, blowing from the north, fanned its princes, its priests, and the people of be alert to what is happening around, to the embers into a fierce flame, causing the the land. They will fight against you; but see things in the right perspective, to know pot to boil, so that its liquid contents they shall not prevail against you, for I am the things as they are, and to understand overflowed and trickled in a southerly with you, says the Lord, to deliver you” their relevance, importance and direction. “What do you see”? “You have seen (Jer.1:17–19) is indeed a prophetic call to significance in relation to the community, correctly”! encapsulates a complex process of help the community to learn, to become along with its effects and repercussions learning and education. wise, to help the community to be awake, too. Seeing and interpreting what one alert, to wake it up from its slumbers, to sees is the first step of experience that To observe the budding and blossoming discern the difference between that enables life, makes living possible. branch among innumerable tree which is good and which is bad and to branches indicates learning to locate and evaluate the strengths and weakness in The vision of the branch of an almond tree find new possibilities and opportunities. the community. This would impart to the is slender in substance, but significant in To observe among many pots the one community the strength to see intently meaning. What the prophet sees is boiling and tilting pot that proclaims and inculcate the skill to interpret the simply a branch of an almond tree; danger and threat to the community is a signs of the time, to be always alert, to presumably the branch was on a lesson in being awake and alert that will defeat the threats that dance upon the flourishing tree. The prophet is asked help in seeing, recognizing and interpreting community, and to make maximum use of what it is that he sees; after responding, correctly. Watchful intent involves the opportunities that open up un- he is given a divine word that is at first concentration and unwavering attention to expectedly and surprisingly. Such an rather perplexing: “You have seen well, locate the significant one. It resists empowered community is a foretaste of for I am watching over my word, to generalization and finds the most the liberation that allows justice, peace perform it”. It is necessary, first of all, to important among many. It entails a skill to and righteousness to bloom and offers a recognize the Hebrew word play, which locate the most decisive, most sustainable alternative. The community cannot be captured in translation. In significant, and most important one and then exults in the revelation of the hidden response to the initial question, Jeremiah prioritizing the remaining accordingly.

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